Olivia Hansen
Villanova University School of Business
“A self-driven, analytical mind dedicated to mastering challenges and understanding their implications on the world.”
Fun fact about yourself: I can speak three languages!
Hometown: Cornwall, New York
High School: Cornwall Central High School
Major: Management, International Business
Minor: Writing and Rhetoric
Favorite Business Course: During my time at Villanova, my favorite business course has been Global Sustainability Management, taught by Dr. Jonathan Doh, Herbert G. Rammrath Endowed Chair in International Business. In this course, I studied the key issues and actors in environmental, social, and economic sustainability. I examined corporations and stakeholders’ specific roles in global advancements regarding environmental, social, and economic issues, and I learned the importance of finance in achieving global sustainability.
Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:
Honors
- Dean’s List (all semesters)
- Recipient of the Nicholas Martini Foundation Endowed Study Abroad Scholarship
Extracurriculars & Leadership
- Budget Director of the Villanova Outdoors Club
- Villanova School of Business Peer Advisor
- Global Key Advisor in the Office of Education Abroad
- Office Assistant in the Spanish Language Office in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
- Co-Director of No Man’s Land, a documentary through the International Social Justice Documentary Course at Villanova
Community Work
- Alpha Phi Omega Service Fraternity
- Pennsylvania Special Olympics (all years)
- Villanova Day of Service (all years)
Where have you interned during your college career? As a freshman, I participated in the 2022 Global Citizens Study Abroad Program in London, where I worked as an administrative intern at Pontone and Albemarle Art Galleries in Soho, London.
This past summer, I served the 2024 Biden Administration as an intern in the Contract and Procurement Office under the Office of Administration for the Executive Office of the President in Washington, DC.
Where will you be working after graduation? Post-graduation, I aim to secure an international position in the creative industries.
Who is your favorite business professor? There are many business professors who have expanded my perspective of business and the world at large during my time here at Villanova –it is difficult to choose just one. A professor who has supported me both inside and outside the classroom is Professor Jeanne Liedtka. Through her Corporate Regulation and Response course, I gained a deep understanding of law and its impact on businesses, economic endeavors, and personal ventures. Incorporating corporate social responsibility and meaningful, real-life examples in her lessons, Professor Liedtka effectively imparted knowledge that created awareness of important social issues while educating us on historical cases of stare decisis. Beyond the classroom, her support for students is prominent as she celebrates and helps in the success of students throughout their personal, educational, and professional endeavors.
My equally favorite professor is Dr. Narda Quigley. Dr. Quigley’s Global Leadership course covers many important issues of leadership tailored to a changing world. By bringing in her own educational and personal background, Dr. Quigley imparts a meaningful and personal connection to the material that inspires engagement and participation within the class. Her passion for teaching is just as apparent as her deep care for her students, which appears in her genuine engagement with students and their own experiences and insights in class.
What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? Studying business has taught me that profitability and the business model are not exclusive of proper stewardship of people, resources, and the world. As an emerging envoy of industry, I have learned that we must use our power as business leaders to enact meaningful and lasting change through business, while never letting go of responsibility towards people, community, and the earth.
What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? My advice to anyone looking to major in a business-related field is to take every course seriously and make a mastery of your education. Fully engaging with the class material, comprehending all that professors have to teach, and opening up dialogue about current global changes in the business world is the key to mastering your time in business school. Business is singular in its broad array of topics, from finance, analytics and accounting to management, economics, and marketing. I also recommend going beyond core business courses and diversifying your knowledge base. Everything I learned in my social sciences, communication, history, and English courses taught me how to be a better business leader. Business school is a space to expand your mind and add layers to your understanding of the world. Reflecting on how courses can stretch beyond the classroom is the key towards appreciating how a business degree can impact you moving forward with life decisions.
Looking back over your experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently in business school and why? As my time in the Villanova School of Business draws short, I would have liked to have the time and opportunity to have taken more classes outside of my areas of major concentration. For example, I would have loved to have taken Development Economics and learned about structural and social processes, patterns, determinants, and strategies of economic development. I would have also loved to have the opportunity to conduct an independent study and expand my comprehension of AI technology, to better prepare me for the ever-shifting business landscape. As I reflect on my time at Villanova, however, I am grateful for all of the courses I was able to take and for the knowledge that has been imparted upon me as I enter the professional world.
What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What is one insight you gained from using AI? In my Advanced Analytics and AI course, my professors, Dr. Bob Nydick and Nathan Coates, taught me how to make informed business decisions based off large data sets utilizing text mining, machine learning, and large language models. A portion of the course was dedicated to AI as we compared machine learning models, such as JMP, to current AI technology. Analyzing data mining results of both models, we found that AI still has strides to cover in terms of accuracy of analysis, function, and complex modeling tasks, but strived in creating visuals and problem-solving support. My professors’ proven passion for the subject, as well as Villanova as a whole, will ensure that there are great strides made in regard to AI integration within courses.
Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? Being in the White House at the intersection of political and business decisions for the betterment of the American people was an honor of a lifetime, and hopefully the beginning of a long career in improving the lives of others through business. Being accepted as one of only two individuals in the entire nation to intern in the Contract and Procurement Office is an accomplishment that I am beyond grateful for. My time serving in the Executive Office of the President was a transformative educational experience that I will never forget and has taught me life-long lessons in integrity, devotion, and meaningful work.
Which classmate do you most admire? A classmate I most admire is Olivia Loftin. Her intelligence, care, ambition, and personhood inspires me to be a better leader every day. Her work ethic is unmatched, and I know if she believes she can do something, she will. She is currently earning her Master of Accounting at Villanova, a Resident Assistant, a Villanova School of Business Peer Advisor, and previously served on the Dean’s Undergraduate Advisory Council. Above her numerous accolades and accomplishments, she is a magnanimous individual who is sure to accomplish greatness, professionally and beyond.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? I would like to thank my mother for my success. Since I was born, her love, care, and intellectual guidance has made me who I am today. She is my buoy through the tumultuous storms of life and the sharer of celebration in my greatest joys and accomplishments. My biggest supporter and largest critic, I rely on her to keep me grounded as I navigate the educational, professional, and personal paths of life.
What are the top two items on your professional bucket list? The first item on my professional bucket list is to pursue business management on a global scale. My past experiences in the UK, Italy, the Philippines, and Norway has taught me to set no geographical bounds for myself and my professional career. I aspire to gain an expansive perspective of the world through the workplace.
My second item is to become a professor and publish a book. As an avid writer and a lover of knowledge and learning, I hope to eventually impart my knowledge and experiences upon the next generation, extending the support and guidance that I have received throughout my educational career to others. Being a Peer Advisor here at Villanova has only furthered my resolve to be a guiding force for others through education.
What made Olivia such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2025?
“Olivia is currently my student at Villanova University in MGT 2360 (Global Leadership), where she is double-majoring in Management and International Business and minoring in both Writing and Rhetoric and Peace and Justice.
Olivia comes to class each day with a sense of purpose and joy; her learning orientation is clear. Her contributions to class discussions are often so insightful that I ask her to follow up with an email after class. As one example, in one class discussion about the underrepresentation of women as CEOs in Fortune 500 firms, she mentioned that one indigenous group (the Shinnecock Nation in New York) just appointed their first female leader in centuries. She later sent me an email with a link to a New York Times article about Lisa Goree, the leader in question. I love that Olivia knew about this and shared it with the class; it underscored my point while also shifting the class’s awareness toward indigenous culture and leadership. I look forward to her contributions each day, as she makes such a positive difference in terms of building cultural awareness among the rest of my students. She is truly an invaluable addition to my course.
At the Villanova School of Business (VSB) more broadly, Olivia is a star. She has been on the Dean’s List each semester; her exceptionally high GPA puts her in a strong position to win the Bartley Medallion (our highest honor for graduating seniors in each major) for either Management or International Business. She has served as a peer advisor for the last two years, helping other students navigate their academic choices. She was selected to be part of two extremely competitive study abroad programs: the Global Citizen London program during her first year and the Villanova Summer Economics and Culture of Italy in Rome during summer 2023. For the latter, she received a Nicholas Martini Foundation Study Abroad scholarship. Additionally, it is rare to see top students at VSB be so multidisciplinary. Olivia’s minors are both outside VSB, reflecting her broader interests in creativity and social justice. Her multidisciplinary pursuits were reflected in her excellent work in Professor Hezekiah Lewis’s International Social Justice documentary course, a challenging and immersive academic experience that requires travel, teamwork, creativity, flexibility, and empathy.
Olivia is the kind of student that makes me proud to teach at VSB. Her curiosity, openness to experience, humility, care for others, and overall exceptional academic skills make her stand out as an invaluable addition to VSB’s class of 2025. Thank you for your time.”
Narda R. Quigley, PhD
Professor of Management and Mahoney Family Endowed Professor in Business
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